Gradebook

Gradebook

Gradebook takes you inside the world of Florida education issues with reporter discussions and newsmaker interviews on the hottest topics of the week. Florida has been a national leader in education initiatives for more than two decades, and our team brings you closer to the action. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

Controversies in the Capitol: Vouchers, teacher pay, Common and more

February 6, 2020 • 23 mins
If you ever had any question whether education is important in Florida, look no further than Tallahassee. Year after year, lawmakers and the governor have spent hours crafting policy ideas — good and bad — and even longer arguing about them. Even in the sessions when they announce they'll be giving the issue a rest. And 2020 is no different. So many controversies in the Capitol center on schooling subjects. Our Tallahassee bureau r...

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Student scientists send research to space

January 30, 2020 • 11 mins
Who says the annual science fair has to be boring? Three Pasco County high school seniors took a challenge to devise a research project worthy of study in anti-gravity, and they now will send their effort to the International Space Station. Their teacher also is quick to point out that Krinn Technical students Amanda Marrero, Shelly Nonnenberg and Emily Null are women in a field dominated by men. What's on their minds? Marrero, Non...

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Who cares who a school district's superintendent is?

January 23, 2020 • 29 mins
Superintendent searches serve to remind us of the important role that a chief executive plays in leading a school district to success. Everyone wants a "unicorn" — that unique someone who can do it all. But it's not always easy to find that person, as politics, loyalties and other agendas can interfere. All that came into play as Hillsborough County, the nation's seventh largest school system, looked for its next leader. And it's a...

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Why are Florida schools using the Baker Act more often?

January 16, 2020 • 25 mins
Florida's Baker Act wasn't intended to apply to school children when created in the 1970s. Lawmakers wanted to make it easier to help adults with mental health concerns get treatment closer to home. Over the years, though, schools have turned to the measure as justification to take into custody for evaluation children deemed a threat to themselves or others. And the numbers have grown, although oversight has not. Reporters Megan Re...

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What education issues will dominate Florida's 2020 legislative session?

January 9, 2020 • 24 mins
Florida's Legislature formally kicks off its 2020 session on Jan. 14. Several key education issues will hit the fan a day earlier. The Florida Education Association expects thousands of teachers to rally in Tallahassee for improved public school funding, while the Senate Education Committee is set to consider bills on several hot-button issues include teacher pay, voucher eligibility and charter school authorization. Will Monday fo...

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Who will be Hillsborough County's next school superintendent?

December 19, 2019 • 26 mins
The Hillsborough County school district, the seventh largest in the nation, is looking to hire a new chief executive before the current one retires in the spring. The School Board hasn't hired someone from outside the system to lead the district since the 1960s. But this time, the board appears intent on doing just that, to shake things up. Fifty-one hopefuls applied, from both near and far, and now comes the task of whittling down...

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There ought to be a law: One Florida student's civics lesson

December 12, 2019 • 12 mins
As Florida government leaders look to enhance students' civics knowledge, they might want to talk to Hillsborough County senior Haley Manigold. She and some of her schoolmates at Armwood High identified a concern with the state's graduation requirements and how they affect teens still learning English. Rather than just complain, the group decided to urge the Legislature to action. This past week, Manigold was among those testifying...

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What's coming in Florida education policy? A look at the 2020 legislative session

December 5, 2019 • 23 mins
Florida's 2020 legislative session begins Jan. 14, and in the months leading up to the annual event, it's been Gov. Ron DeSantis — not state lawmakers — who has led the charge in proposing new directions in state education policy. Improving teacher pay has become the driving topic of the discussion so far. But what else can we expect? Something major, like another expansion of voucher programs? Or is this the year that the Legislat...

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Why does a UF senator want to impeach the student body president?

November 18, 2019 • 15 mins
University of Florida student government president Michael Murphy faces an impeachment inquiry in the aftermath of Donald Trump Jr.'s campus speech. A group of student senators alleges that Murphy, whose family has apparent connections to the president, improperly used student fees to pay Trump for his appearance. They contend it was a coordinated campaign visit, and have used the word 'collusion' to describe the way the event came...

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Why do principals matter? One principal's perspective.

November 14, 2019 • 11 mins
In efforts to make schools better, Florida officials often look to the person in charge of the campus. The principal sets the tone, leads by example, attracts (or in negative examples, repels) the faculty and staff charged with the daily education of children. How do school principals view their responsibilities? As Florida school districts are recognizing their top educators, we turned to Pasco County's newly named Principal of th...

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Can Florida afford teacher raises and increase per-student funding, too?

November 7, 2019 • 16 mins
Florida's government leaders have decided to prioritize increasing teacher pay in their next state budget. They also want to expand vouchers, bolster school security, improve early education funding and raise per-student spending. They don't want to raise taxes, either. (Did we mention the governor and the majorities in both chambers are Republican?) Is the goal possible? State Rep. Chris Latvala, chairman of the House PreK-12 Appr...

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Why are Florida teacher union leaders riding a bus around the state?

October 31, 2019 • 22 mins
As Florida lawmakers have gathered in the state capitol to debate education issues such as teacher pay, prekindergarten funding and student-athlete health protections, leaders of the state's largest teacher union hit the road. They launched a five-week, 50-stop bus tour aimed at drawing attention to their positions on the issues, which often differ from those of the governor and legislative leaders. What's do they hope to accomplis...

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Florida's school standards and children of color: A mom's view on what needs fixing

October 24, 2019 • 18 mins
Alexandra Gilmore knew she needed to attend the Florida Department of Education's public forum about student expectations when it came to Tampa on Oct. 17. The mother of two, who sometimes substitutes in local schools, has seen the love of learning sucked out of her children, and others like them, because of the way the standards are implemented. Not all families start at the same place, Gilmore observed, and yet the state expects ...

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Should Florida school districts have their own police forces?

October 17, 2019 • 23 mins
Two years after Parkland, Florida government, political and education leaders continue to debate the best ways to keep schools safe from violence. The state's Public Safety Commission, convened in the aftermath of the deadly attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, is about to issue a new set of recommendations. How individual districts choose to address the issues remains distinctly local. In Hernando County, the far north exurbs ...

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Florida's governor proposes $600M for teacher raises. Why isn't everyone cheering?

October 10, 2019 • 17 mins

This week, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his goal to increase Florida’s base teacher salary to $47,500. That would move the state from 26th in the nation to 2nd. And it would meet a longtime teacher plea to shift attention from bonuses to wages. DeSantis’ call to put more than half a billion dollars into paychecks didn’t win universal accolades, though. It instead was greeted with questions, doubts and criticisms. Why all the co...

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What should schools do to help students who struggle to read?

October 9, 2019 • 17 mins
In Florida, the Hillsborough County school district has one of the largest number of schools on the state's lowest performing list when it comes to reading. Nearly one in four students in the system score below grade level on the annual reading and language arts exam. To combat the problem, the district hired a consultant to explore where the problems lie, and what strategies might bring the lowest readers up. A newly released prel...

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A civics lesson for Florida teens who think there ought to be a law

October 3, 2019 • 16 mins
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says the state's youth need improved civics lessons so they can become better citizens. Tony Pirotta, a social studies teacher at Hillsborough County's Armwood High School, sees the answer already exists — give students a hands-on experience to involve themselves in the government. Each year, he works with a group of teens to discover an issue that matters to them, and which they think needs attention in l...

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Florida's 4-year-olds: Are they ready for school?

September 26, 2019 • 23 mins
Florida voters approved a universal prekindergarten program back in 2002, after lawmakers refused to implement a an early education system to help prepare young children for school. Since then, the program has grown in enrollment, but its funding has remained stagnant, and its success has been limited. This year, state officials have called for improvements. With early learning on the front burner — it was the first topic of conver...

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They're back. Florida lawmakers talk education priorities for 2020

September 19, 2019 • 22 mins
Just months after ending their 2019 session, Florida lawmakers have headed back to Tallahassee to begin preparing for 2020. The first week of committee meetings has offered a glimpse into the education priorities the Legislature is poised to tackle. Among them are school security (no surprise there) and early education. What else is on tap? Reporters Emily Mahoney and Jeff Solochek read the tea leaves.

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Can public comment at a school board meeting be made privately?

September 12, 2019 • 23 mins
By their very nature, school board meetings are public. They're held in an open room. Anyone can attend. They exist specifically to deal with the public's business. Yet in the nation's eighth largest school district, the board chairwoman has led the fight to keep residents' comments to the board largely outside the public eye. She argues that some people wish to address the body privately, but in public. Plus, the same district — ...

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